A European business lobby group on Monday urged the Japanese government to revise its coronavirus-triggered entry restrictions imposed on foreign nationals, warning that the ban threatens to leave a lasting negative impact on operations of European and Japanese businesses alike.
The entry restrictions were imposed about a year after a trade pact between Japan and the European Union came into effect on Feb. 1, 2019. The deal was meant to increase exports from the European Union and direct investment from Europe. Within a year, the agreement boosted exports from the EU by 6.6 percent.
“Now ... (the agreement) is losing momentum because of the travel ban,” Michael Mroczek, President of the European Business Council in Japan, said during a news conference held at Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo.